80

Jungkook

"Eat."

The bowl was placed on the ground between us, he kicked it away a few feet.

I sat up and stared at the bowl a few feet away from me.

Keeping his eyes on me when the simple command was given. The tone of his voice held a hint of rage, but it also held no space for questions. Without wasting another second, I got to my knees obediently, that was what he wanted.

When I reached the bowl and bent down to eat, he kicked it a few feet away again. This process was repeated until I had used all the length of my shackles and I was straining against them to reach the bowl.

Still, on my knees, I bent down and licked the soup, it was the only thing I could do.

I heard the devil unzipped his pants, I waited for what was to come.

I sat up with a start, my mind foggy with sleep and the nightmare.

No, it was my reality.

The memories flashed behind my closed lids in rapid images.

Everything hurt... even my soul.

I didn't want to remember, it was impossible.

The memories always came back to haunt me.

I always heard the Devil's laughter in my ears.

No matter how much I wanted to tune him out and forget, I just couldn't.

It always came back to this.

Remembering.

The painful memories.

Reliving them over and over again.

When I felt a hand on my shoulder, I flinched.

My mind went black.

The Devil had found me again.

My stomach rolled, tasted the bile on my tongue, my lungs constricted painfully and I closed my eyes tightly.

"Jungkook, it's me."

The soothing voice penetrated through the black fog. I opened my eyes to see Jimin sitting beside me. He gave me a gentle look and brought his hands up in surrender.

"I'm not going to hurt you. Taehyung had to go, he didn't want to leave you alone," he explained quietly.

I felt my muscles relax, my breathing returning to normal.

The Devil wasn't here.

He was captured, waiting for his fate.

His death.

A sudden surge of energy went through me at the thought of Byungchan.

"I want to see him," I announced.

I struggled out of bed, and Jimin followed me.

"Taehyung?" he questioned.

"No." I shook my head, making my way to the door.

I didn't wait for his response, my brain turned off... every thought was gone except one.

I wanted to see the Devil one last time.

I wanted to see his face... I wanted to see the fear in his eyes.

The same fear he had instilled inside of me.

I wanted to see the same reflecting in those soulless eyes.

I wanted to see my Savior rise above him.

My heart hammered as I walked down the stairs and Jimin was hot on my heels. He was talking but I didn't hear him.

I concentrated only on my destination.

I wanted to feel safe... and the only way for me to feel that way was to see him captured.

When I reached the basement, I saw two men at the door.

Their eyes widened at the sight of me, "Sir Jungkook. You shouldn't be here."

I looked past their shoulders, staring at the closed door.

"I want to see him."

"Boss said nobody was allowed," one of them replied, giving me a strange look.

The air around us was colder.

It was heavy with the essence of death.

The atmosphere felt vile and suffocating.

A shiver went through me.

I rubbed my arms, trying to get rid of the chills.

"Please let me through. I want to see him."

"Sir-"

Jimin cut them off, "Let him, he needs to do this."

All the guarding men looked at each other, an apprehensive look appeared on their faces, I knew they were worried about Taehyung's anger. If they disobeyed his orders, they would pay severely.

"I will tell Taehyung that I forced you. He won't say anything," I tried to bargain.

The men parted to let me through. "Are you sure, Sir? This is not the place for you."

"I'm sure."

No, I wasn't sure.

I was scared of what I was about to see but I knew I had to do this. The door opened, my heart hammered. I thought it skipped a beat because of how hard it pounded against my ribcage.

My hands trembled and clenched them into fists.

I walked inside to see Taehyung swivelling around, facing me in shock.

I flinched at the sight in front of me.

The first thing I noticed was how bloodied his clothes were.

His hands had blood on them too.

The second thing I saw was Seokjin, Namjoon and Hoseok staring at me with wide eyes.

They had blood on them too.

And the last thing... was Byungchan.

He was strapped to a chair, his arms tied behind his back. His head hung low, his chin almost

touching his chest.

Byungchan looked dead.

I knew he wasn't.

I could hear his laboured breathing.

Blood was everywhere.

The copper smell of blood in the room made me nauseous and my stomach rolled painfully.

"Jungkook," Taehyung breathed, he took a step toward me and my lips wobbled, trying to keep the tears in, "What...?"

He shook his head, dropping his knife to the floor, my eyes followed it. There was blood on the blade, the whole knife was covered in blood.

My eyes went to Taehyung's hand.

The same hand that held me gently and loved me.

I should have been scared, but I wasn't. Because I knew these hands would keep me safe. They were bloodied for me.

I looked at Byungchan again, he moved slightly.

The Devil raised his head with great difficulty.

His eyes met mine, my heart found its way to my throat. It felt like sharp knives were piercing me.

His stare made me sick.

This man broke me.

Humiliated me in the worst way possible.

He was my nightmare for so many years.

The Devil in my life.

I quaked as I kept my eyes on him.

He represented every ugliness in my life.

I wanted to sink to the floor, I wanted to sink and sink into a pit of darkness. To shut out everything, every pain, every hurt the Devil caused me.

I wanted to fade away into nothingness.

I didn't want to feel, my legs felt numb and my whole body felt heavy.

It hurt so much.

Everything hurt.

In front of me, I saw the Devil, I saw every painful memory.

Every sinister laugh.

All the torture I went through.

I remembered being shackled to the wall, being fed, beaten, and repeatedly raped. I remembered the years he let his men take me over and over again until I would fade in and out of the blackness.

Until... Until I would feel nothing but pain.

I saw everything.

I felt everything.

The agony made me dizzy.

All those emotions that were dormant inside of me, they all erupted.

Fury, disgust, sadness, pain. They coursed through me, fueling something deep inside of me.

Something I didn't even realise I was capable of.

Without thinking, I lunged forward.

Taehyung reared back in shock when I grabbed his gun.

I held the gun in my hand and pointed it at Byungchan.

I saw Seokjin moving forward and Taehyung stopped him with a raise of his hand.

My hands trembled around the gun, my grasp never slipped.

I just had to pull the trigger.

I wanted him to hurt, just like he hurt me.

My eyes moved back to Taehyung for a second.

His gaze was already on me.

He looked shocked but proud.

When I saw him smile, I relaxed.

It wasn't a sweet smile.

No, it was a smile filled with promises of darkness.

A sadistic smile.

"You want to shoot him?" Taehyung asked, walking toward me.

His footsteps were deliberately slow, he looked powerful and ruthless.

Kim Taehyung looked like the King he truly was.

He appeared like the very monster he was described as.

The monster everyone feared.

My Monster.

I nodded my head, keeping my eyes on Byungchan.

Taehyung stopped beside me.

"You want to do this?"

I nodded again.

I wanted to shoot him.

Now that the gun was in my hand, I couldn't move.

I froze, my throat closing up, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Seokjin," Taehyung growled.

Seokjin looked at Taehyung before nodding, he untied Byungchan and hoisted him off the chair. Holding by the nape and dragged him across the floor toward me. Wiping the tears away, I felt a sudden fear rake through me.

Seokjin kicked Byungchan's leg, making him kneel in front of me.

I stiffened, taking a step back.

My back hit a chest, I knew it was Taehyung.

I sucked in a breath and held the gun tighter.

My finger trembled against the trigger, I couldn't do it.

Taehyung whispered in my ears, "Angel, you don't have to do this.."

I shook my head wildly, cutting him off.

"No," I replied brokenly, "I want... to..."

He swore under his breath, "I'm letting you do this only because you want to. Only one shot, Angel. That's it."

My gut clenched as I stared at the Devil kneeling in front of me.

I held the power yet I couldn't do it.

"Taehyung..."

I begged.

Feeling lost.

He sighed, wrapping his hand around mine.

We held the gun together.

"I'm here, Jungkook. I'll help you, my Angel."

His voice was gruff in my ears and filled with so much pride.

I can do this.

The gun was pointed at Byungchan's kneecap.

"One bullet, Angel. And don't kill him," he admonishes, "I'm not done with him, okay?"

When I didn't move, Taehyung urged me, "Go ahead."

Our fingers latched onto the trigger.

Bang!

I winced as my ears rang, closing my eyes.

My breathing came out harsher.

I opened my eyes, I saw him writhing on the floor. Blood was everywhere, even on me, Byungchan screamed so loud it echoed around the chamber.

Before I knew what was happening, Taehyung was in front of me.

Screams of agony kept going, the gun was taken from my hand and placed his arms around me.

I buried my face in his chest.

Byungchan was still screaming as Taehyung half-carried me out of the basement.

The door closed with a bang, I flinched.

It sounded so much like the gunshot.

I shivered from cold and pain.

I didn't think the pain would ever end.

I cried in Taehyung's chest.

He smelled of blood.

He was covered with it.

I was covered with it, too.

I just shot another person.

The thought made me gag, I pushed away from Taehyung.

Taehyung pulled me into his chest again.

"Don't pull away from me, Angel."

"I hurt him," I whispered, dread lacing my voice, "I hurt him, Taehyung."

"I know. You were so brave there. So beautiful. Like an avenging Angel," he whispered soothingly, "I'm in awe and so fvcking proud of you."

I felt light-headed and sagged against Taehyung, all energy deserting me.

"I never wanted you to see him like this. I know you want to kill him, Angel, but you won't be able to live with it," Taehyung said, his voice low but filled with understanding, "Killing someone is never easy. It will haunt you forever. Your hands will always be tainted with his blood. I know you. Even though he deserves it, you won't be able to live with the fact you took a person's life," he continued.

I hiccupped back a sob and held him tighter.

He understood me.

Of course, he understood me.

Taehyung could read me like an open book.

Sometimes I felt like he knew me better than I knew myself.

"I don't want you to dirty your hands as long as I am alive. Let me do this," Taehyung paused and palmed my cheeks, staring into my eyes, "Let me be your monster. Let me kill for you, Angel."

I nodded silently.

Bringing our lips together, we kissed.

Sealing our deal.

Softly and gently.

A contrast of what was happening around us.

Pulling away, I placed my hand over his beating heart.

It matched the rhythm of my own.

We breathed together, our eyes never leaving each other.

"Make him pay, Taehyung. I want him to hurt... like he hurt me," I whispered, "Does that make me a bad person? For me to wish death upon someone else?"

Taehyung adamantly shook his head.

"Never. He deserves everything he got and will get. By the time I'm done with him, he won't even be able to beg for his death, my Angel."

I wiped my tears away.

"I just want to be safe from him. I want our family to be safe from him."

"He will never hurt you and anyone else ever again," Taehyung promised.

We kissed again, Taehyung deepened the kiss, and I held him tighter as our tongues danced together.

"Go upstairs and take a hot shower. I will come for you at night. Wait for me in the piano room," Taehyung demanded, his eyes softening just the slightest bit.

His face wasn't soft or gentle.

My sweet lover was gone.

In his place was a man filled with vengeance and the need to kill.

I had learned to love this side of Taehyung too.

Now I would patiently wait for my sweet lover to come back.

In the meantime, I would let him wreak havoc.

I placed another kiss on his lips.

"Do your worst, Taehyung."